Unusual Pokémon- Hacks, Events, and More
There are many types of Pokémon one can come across. Some are rarer than others, and some are just plain odd. What is a hack? What is an event Pokémon? These questions pop up often enough (granted, less, recently, due to the lack of new members) within the community, and because of this, I have decided to create a guide based on my own knowledge and what resources are available to us all. I hope that it is of assistance, especially to those of you who want to become successful in the trading or battling scenes!
Definitions
This guide wouldn't be very useful if you had no clue what certain terms mean, so I'm including a small list of definitions of common terms. Most of the definitions are not official, and have a significant amount of differing in opinion, depending on who you ask.
Hacked Pokémon- A hacked Pokémon is one that was obtained using an external device or editing, in any way, the game (such as using Action Replay to edit save files).
Pokesav- A program that is commonly used to edit Pokémon.
Event Pokémon- A Pokémon obtained at an official Nintendo event. More information
HERE.
Cloned Pokémon- A Pokémon that has been duplicated via a glitch or cheating device.
Effort Values- Commonly abbreviated as "EVs". These are stat bonuses given when defeating an enemy Pokémon. A better explanation and guide is
HERE and
HERE. This allows people to make certain stats higher.
Individual Values- Commonly abbreviated as "IVs". When you first encounter a Pokémon, a value from 0-31 is assigned to each stat. These values, in turn, decide how high or low you will be able to make a certain stat. A more complete guide can be found
HERE.
I'll add more terms if needed, but for now, this seems to suffice in my mind.
Hacked Pokémon- The Great Debate
Hacks. Some people like them, others don't. Most don't. However, most people will not care if you hack your game. Some people get great enjoyment out of running through wallls and having a shiny level 100 Magikarp maul the E4 with Aeroblast and Roar of Time. Who are we to tell them what they can or cannot do with their game?
Things get sticky when you try to trade or battle with these hacks, and this is why this whole debate exists. If you catch something with an AR code on that makes everything shiny, or have perfect IVs, or whatever it may be, it's a hack. If someone is careful while creating a hacked Pokémon (likely using Pokesav), chances are you won't be able to see the hack for what it is just by looking at it, unless the person using Pokesav makes a stupid mistake.
Most forums and online trading sites have a rule in place that requires you to state if your Pokémon is hacked. However, there will always be people who do not know any better, or those who are dishonest. This is why you should know how to spot obvious hacks.
Common signs that the Pokémon is hacked include... An odd ID number (one consisting of only zeros are definite hacks, or ones that go in order (1234...etc) should be treated with suspicion). An OT that seems suspect may also indicate that something is amiss (there is no definite hack names, just use your best judgment with this one). A Pokémon being caught at a location that it cannot be found at (ex. Palkia found on Route 202) or if the Egg info (if applicable) is incorrect (it should have something pertaining to the Day Care Couple for the first location, then the hatch location), knowing moves that it cannot learn (ex. Bidoof with Fly), lots of spaces after a Pokémon's name (ex. "SWELLOW "), being caught in a Cherish Ball (and not being an event Pokémon that is supposed to be in such a Ball, Master Balls can also be suspicious in some situations (such as being used to catch very common Pokémon)), having a "met date" of Jan 0, 2000, having stats above the maximum possible for a specific nature or species, having an impossible Ability (Wondertomb comes to mind).... The list goes on. This list here is by no means exhaustive, but it should at least give a few of the common things to look out for.
You should always check a Pokémon's information screens before trading, and look for anything suspicious. This is NOT a surefire way to avoid hacks, but it should allow you to spot the blindingly obvious ones. If something seems fishy, even if you can't put your finger on it, don't trade. You're better off erring on the side of caution if you do not want a hack.
The best way to avoid hacks is to trade with people who you can trust. When going to a new place to trade, ask around a bit and you should be able to find out who is well known to be a person who only trades legitimate Pokémon. If possible, review their trading history or sift through their past posts in the trade section. When you are in doubt, ask if something is hacked. Someone is sure to stop by and try to help.
Another way that some hacks can be found out is via uploading them to PBR or uploading a battle video with the Pokémon (Platinum and HG/SS only). Some hacks will be caught and either the battle video will not upload (you will be told that there was a problem with your Pokémon) or they will not show up in PBR (they'll show up as Bad Eggs, and I have heard that some hacks will show up, but cannot be used online. I don't have confirmation on this, however).
Please note that if a Pokémon is hacked well, you may not be able to tell at all, by any method available.
The most reliable way to check if a Pokémon is hacked is by using a hack checking program. I have no clue what they are called or where you can find them, but I have seen them mentioned, so I assume that a good Google search will bring something up for you. I do not know how to work these, either, so you will have to find that out on your own as well.
ADDITION (credit to Dark Angel Frank): The children of hacked Pokémon (provided that the Egg or the Pokémon inside are not edited in any way) are generally considered to be legitimate. The only case in which this is not true is if the child was affected by an AR code or otherwise edited- so no, your hacked Groudon cannot have a legit baby). This is a debatable topic, however, so if you feel differently on the matter, be sure to tell your trading partner this beforehand.
Okay, I think that is MORE than enough about hacks. xD Onto the next section...
Event Pokémon and Other Special Pokémon
Wait! Did that Raichu just use Teeter Dance? HACK? Nope! There are special Pokémon out there, many from Nintendo events, which can know special moves, have certain IDs/OTs, and more. All Pokémon from a specific event will have information that must be accurate.
So, where can this information be found? There are a few databases I use to determine if an event looks legit.
Pokémon Secure-
HERE. Not just an event database, but they do have a nice one to use. It's even segmented into different systems and countries, to make browsing easy and pleasant. However, moveset information is not always provided, which is why I also check my next source...
Bulbapedia-
HERE. Ah, yes. The Bulbapedia event template. This is very complete (from what I can tell) and has accurate information. It is segmented by year of distribution, which is somewhat harder for me when I try to group events together (hence why I use PS as well). Very useful.
More unfinished carryover from the other place. Will finish it later.... It's just a simple definition guide.